This invention relates to cushion or pillow devices for the comfort of persons while bathing in various bathtubs, hot tubs or the like, especially to such devices that support bathers"" lumbar regions instead of necks or shoulders only. Since the primary purpose of the invention is support of the lower back, the device will hereinafter be referred to as a xe2x80x9ccushionxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ccushion devicexe2x80x9d.
No matter how well designed, bathtub contours are usually too rigid to provide adequate support to bathers"" lumbar regions and to allow comfortable sitting or lying in bathtubs. Also, most bathtubs provide a triangular hollow space between bathers"" lumbar or lower back regions and the walls of the bathtubs, which causes significant discomfort especially to persons with lumbar or lower back pain or the like.
Most related products are pillows designed to support bathers"" shoulders and necks only. By doing so, they elevate bathers"" bodies and enlarge the hollow space between their backs and the walls of bathtubs, hence making the problem worse. Examples of such products are shown in the following U.S. patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,373, issued May 14, 1991 to Dobine, and
U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,713, issued Aug. 25, 1992 to Pesterfield.
Some products which do provide a certain degree of support for the back regions lack adequate mass to fill up the triangular hollow space to support persons"" lower backs and are inherently buoyant, and therefore require firm fixing in the bath, for example by means of suction cups, and lack adequate maneuverability which is critical for a comfortable support. Such products are shown, for example, in the following U.S. patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,483,077, issued Sep. 27, 1949 to Walsh,
U.S. Pat. No. 2,582,439, issued Jan. 15, 1952 to Kavanagh, and
U.S. Pat. No. 3,078,474, issued Feb. 26, 1963 to Chaitlen.
Also known are water-filled pillows, or pillows which may be partly filled with water or other liquid, and which are designed for regular, i.e. non-bath, use, and which function somewhat similarly to water beds. These devices usually have only a single inlet/outlet port or opening and are not easy to fill, and are difficult to handle and to transport from a water source to a desired cushion location, especially when an adequate support is aimed and the required water mass is large and heavy. Such pillows are shown in the following U.S. patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,900,910, issued Aug. 26, 1975 to Nakata;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,560, issued Feb. 16, 1988 to Christie;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,388, issued Jan. 13, 1990 to Bard; and
U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,544, issued Jul. 1, 1997 to Munoz.
The present invention is designed to provide sufficient and ergonomic lumbar support to persons while sitting or lying in bathtubs, hence to improve their bathing comfort and relaxation, while maintaining an adequate level of maneuverability, handleability and transportability of the supporting device.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide sufficient and easily maneuverable support to bathers"" lumbar or lower back regions underwater to allow them to maximize health and therapeutic benefits of bathing.
It is another object of the invention to provide a cushion device allowing automatic filling and draining which avoids otherwise required complicated or awkward filling and transporting operations.
It is yet another object of the invention to allow simultaneous use of several of said cushion devices, due to the fact that said cushion device does not require firm fixing such as by means of suction cups, to obtain utmost lumbar support and comfort.
It is still another object of the invention to provide an esthetically pleasing decorative element for bathrooms.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a cushion device for use when at least partially submerged in the water of a bath, a hot tub or the like, comprises:
a flexible hollow, enclosed shell having upper and lower ends, and being capable of containing liquid without substantial leakage, and
a plurality of ports for allowing gas or liquid fluid to enter into or to escape from said shell, said ports being provided with closure means for substantially preventing said entry and escape of gas or liquid from the shell,
wherein said shell is capable, by virtue of its sufficient stiffness, rigidity or firmness, of maintaining a substantial volume when the shell is open to ambient water or air pressure via said ports.
The cushion device preferably further comprises weight means so that, at the beginning of the automatic filling process, the weight means tends to hold the lower end of said device at the bottom of said bathtub or the like to facilitate said filling process, and so that when the device is in water the weight means tends to hold the lower end of said device in a position below its upper end.
The shell may include spacing means for maintaining the volume of the shell when the ports are open to ambient water or air pressure. The spacing means may be a structure comprising a plurality of cylinders made of mesh polymer material, this material allowing free flow of gas and liquid fluid between the outside and the inside of said cylinders.
The ports of the shell may include upper and lower ports arranged so that, when rising water is filling the shell through a lower port or a plurality of lower ports, air is being vented from an upper port or a plurality of upper ports. Preferably, the ports are mounted on said shell near both its upper and lower ends to avoid fluid-trapping dead spots inside said cushion.
The shell is preferably a flexible container made of polymer material by means of a technology selected from the group consisting of heat sealing, welding, adhesive bounding, blow molding, rotational molding, vacuum forming or injection molding.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method for providing cushioning support under liquid in a confined basin such as a bath, comprises the steps of:
providing a cushion device in the form of a flexible hollow shell which is such as to maintain an expanded condition when its interior is open to ambient air or liquid pressure, said shell having a plurality of ports each provided with a closure means;
placing said device at the bottom of said basin when said basin is empty, with at least one of said plurality of ports near an upper end of said shell and at least one of said plurality of ports near a lower end of said shell, and with at least one upper and at least one lower of said ports being kept open,
filling said basin with liquid while said liquid enters said device automatically through at least one port near the lower end of said device while gas is pushed out of said device through at least one said port near the upper end of said device, and
closing all said ports once said basin is filled up to a desired level,
whereby said device is filled automatically as the basin is being filled, and becomes ready for use.
After use, at least one upper and at least one lower ports is opened to allow said device to be drained while said basin is being drained after use and if desired,
whereby said device is ready for another cycle of use.